Window guide mechanism



1954 c. c. MILES, JR, ETAL 3,151,359

WINDOW GUIDE MECHANISM Filed Oct. 17, 1962 INVENTORS. C'HHRLES a Mmes c/R.

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United States Patent 3,151,859 WlNDOW GUIDE MEQHANISM Charles C. Miles, In, Detroit, and William T. Ingram,

Troy, Mich, assignors to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 231,265 6 Claims. (Cl. 268-126) This invention relates to mechanism for guiding a vertically slidable window in an automobile or the like.

There are two principal types of window regulators frequently used by automobile manufacturers. One type is known as the double arm window regulator and an example thereof is illustrated in US. Patent 2,409,068, which issued October 8, 1946, to J. H. Roethel. The other type referred to is a single arm regulator which generally consists of a rotatable sector having a single arm operatively connected to the base of the window. This operative connection of the single arm regulator to the window sometimes takes the form of a pin and slot connection as illustrated in the US. Patent 1,797,336 to H. C. Field which issued March 24, 1931. On other occasions the operative connection takes the form of a link as illustrated in US. Patent 2,103,876 which issued December 28, 1937, to I. D. Silberman.

The single arm regulator is more economical, but heretofore has been useful in only limited applications because it does not offer lateral stability to the window. Its limitations have frequently necessitated its use to be restricted to raising and lowering windows which have parallel leading and trailing edges so that both edges may be stabilized by window guides throughout the extent of movement of the window. Windows which have nonparallel leading and trailing edges, of course, can only have both edges received in window guides in the closed position of the window. In any other position one edge is unsupported and window stability is a problem.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a guide means for a window which is effective to provide adequate stability and guiding by cooperation with only one edge of the window thereby permitting a window to be raised and lowered even though another edge thereof has no support. An additional advantage obtained by this guide means is that it renders feasible the use of the more economical single arm window regulator in installations Where the latter otherwise would be impractical.

Referring to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly broken away, illustrating an automobile body incorporating our invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the window illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a guide member;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a guide member;

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the invention wherein it is applied to a curved window; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the window illustrated in FIG. 6.

An automobile body 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1 as containing a front door 12 and a rear door 16 each of which contains a vertically slidable window. The windows are respectively numbered 18 and 20.

The window 18 in the front door 12 is shaped to fill the space between a forward division bar 22 separating the window 18 from a conventional ventilator window 24 and a rear portion 26 of door 12. Similarly, the window 20 in the rear door 16 is adapted when raised to fill the space between a forward guide portion 28 in door 16 and a rear guide portion 36 in door 16. For convenience the discussion will be directed to the front window 18 and its guiding mechanism although it is to be understood that the same principles are involved in guiding window 20.

A conventional inside window regulator handle which is not illustrated but bears a general similarity to a Window regulator handle illustrated in FIG. 6 is mounted in accordance with general practice for rotation about a horizontal axis extending laterally of door 12. The window regulator handle imparts rotation to a shaft 32 which is keyed to a pinion 34. The pinion 34 has peripheral teeth which mesh with teeth on a gear sector 36 which is mounted for rotation about an axis 33. The gear sector 36 has a single arm 40 connected thereto and provided with a pin 42 adjacent the terminal portion thereof. The pin 42 is received in a slot 44 in a metal bracket 46 depending from window 14 in accordance with conventional practice. It will thus be seen that by rotating the inside window regulator handle and imparting rotation to pinion 34 that the sector 36 will be rotated and the window 18 may be selectively elevated or lowered.

Referring to FIGS. 2 through 4 it will be seen that the window 18 carries a frame 48 which is isolated from the glass by suitable material St). A backing plate 52 is also retained between the end wall of frame 48 and the material Sil. This backing plate 52 need not be of great length as its principal purpose is to serve as an anchor for a screw 72 which will be described. The division bar 22 preferably contains a conventional sealing device 56 which abuts a surface on window frame 48 to seal the window opening.

The division bar 22 is generally U-shaped and provided with laterally extending grooves 53 and 69 which are aligned with each other and adapted to receive a sliding mechanism to be described which is carried by the window frame 48.

The sliding mechanism referred to above constitutes a guide member 62 which consists of a supporting plate 64 of substantially rectangular configuration which is provided with a nylon cover 66 for its peripheral edges. The marginal edges of the guide member 62 are gently curved as illustrated to accommodate rocking of the guide member in the associated groove. This includes a longitudinal curvature such that the maximum width of the guide members 62 is across the minor axis thereof. In addition the thickness of the guide members is greatest in the inter mediate region as particularly illustrated in FIG. 7. In FIG. 4 it may be seen that the end portions of the nylon are relieved at 65 so that the plate 64 cooperates with side portions of the nylon cover 66 to define a longitudinal slot adapted to embrace the edge of the window frame 48 as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 7. It is to be understood that two or more guide members are preferred along the edge of window frame 43. The nylon cover is preferably formed as one integral piece as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. It has an external configuration which is complementary to the grooves 58 and 69 so that the guide mem ber 62 may slide up and down and be guided by the grooves 53 and 60.

The attachment of the guide member 62 to the window frame 48 forms a principal feature of our invention in that it is recognized that an assembly like an automobile door may have portions that are misaligned and the grooves 58 and 66 may be less than perfect in their alignment. We have found that a loose mounting of the guide member 62 on the window frame 48 will cooperate with the curved shape of the guide members 62 described above to compensate for misalignments and contribute materially to the ease of operation of the mechanism for raising and lowering as well as guiding the window. To this end the plate 64 is apertured at 70 and a screw 72 penetrates this aperture and is anchored in aligned threaded openings provided in frame 48 and backing plate 52. as illustrated in FIG. 2. The screw 72 includes a threaded portion 74 terminating in a shoulder 76 which is adapted to abut the outer surface of the window frame 43 to limit the position of a head 78 on the screw relative to frame 48. The spacing of the shoulder 76 from the head 78 of the screw is preselected relative to the aperture 70 in plate 64 and a conventional countersink 80 which is provided around the entrant portion of the aperture 70. In addition, the

shoulder 76 and head 78 of screw 72 are spaced relative to the thickness of the plate 64 so that when the screw 72 is driven home with its shoulder 76 seated on the face of the window frame 48 the guide member 62 may rock and move relative to the window frame 48 thereby accommodating movement of the window even though there may be some misalignment. The window may thus follow a path that is easiest for it even though the path dictated by grooves 58 and 60 varies slightly therefrom.

FIG. 6 illustrates a door, which in all particulars thus far described, corresponds to the apparatus of FIGS. 1 through 5. Numerals having a prime applied thereto have been used to designate components corresponding to components of FIGS. 1 through 5. FIG. 6, however, illustrates a door which is of a type used in a minority of commercially available cars in which the window has a curvature from top to bottom and the window guide must similiarly be curved as illustrated in FIG. 6. It is to be understood that the invention could be practiced with a curved window and the only departure from the above description that would be necessary would be for the guide members to have an external contour with a gentle curvature corresponding to the curvature of the window and its guides. A guide member 62 with such a curvature is illustrated in FIG. 7.

We claim:

1. In a vehicle body having a window opening, a transparent panel for completely closing the opening, said panel having leading and trailing edges, mechanism operatively connected to said transparent panel and operative to raise and lower the panel relative to the window opening, and guide means associated with only one of said edges, said guide means comprising a fixed member having a substantially vertically extending groove receiving said one edge of said panel, a plurality of guide members slidably received in portions of the above-mentioned groove, and fastening means securing each of said guide members to said edge of said panel, said fastening means accommodating limited universal movement of the associated guide members relative to said panel.

2. In a vehicle body having a window opening, a transparent panel for completely closing the opening, said panel having leading and trailing edges, mechanism operatively connected to said transparent panel and operative to raise and lower the panel relative to the window opening, and guide means associated with only one of said edges, said guide means comprising a fixed member having a substantially vertically extending groove substantially in the plane of said panel and having a cross section with a sufliciently wide entrant portion to straddle said one edge of said panel, the cross section of the above-mentioned groove having a widened inner portion, a plurality of guide members slidably received in the widened inner portion of the above-mentioned groove, and fastening means securing each of said guide members to said edge of said panel, said fastening means accommodating limited universal movement of the associated guide members relative to said panel.

3. In a vehicle body having a window opening, a transparent panel for completely closing the opening, said panel having leading and trailing edges, mechanism operatively connected to said transparent panel and operative to raise and lower the panel relative to the window opening, and guide means associated with only one of said edges, said guide means comprising a fixed member having a substantially vertically extending groove of T-shaped cross section with the central leg of the T located-in the plane of said panel and receiving said one edge of said panel, a plurality of guide members slidably received in the laterally extending portions of the T-shaped groove, and fastening means securing each of said guide members to said edge of said panel, said fastening means accommodating limited universal movement of the associated guide members relative to said panel.

4. In a vehicle body having a window opening, a transparent panel for completely closing the opening, said panel having leading and trailing edges, mechanism operatively connected to said transparent panel and operative to raise and lower the panel relative to the Window opening, and guide means associated with only one of said edges, said guide means comprising a fixed member having a substantially vertically extending groove with a central leg substantially in the plane of said panel and receiving said one edge of said panel, the above-mentioned groove also having laterally extending portions cooperating with said central leg to define a T-shaped cross section, a plurality of guide members slidably received in the above-mentioned laterally extending portions of the groove, and fastening means securing each of said guide members to said edge of said panel, said fastening means accommodating l mited universal movement of the associated guide members relative to said panel.

5. In a vehicle body having a window opening, a transparent panel for completely closing the opening, said panel having leading and trailing edges, mechanism operatively connected to .said transparent panel. and operative to raise and lower the'panel relative to the window opening, and

guide means associated with only one of said edges, said guide means comprising a fixed member having a substantially vertically extending groove substantially in the plane of said panel and having a cross section with a sufficiently wide entrant portion to straddle said one edge of said panel, the cross section of the above-mentioned groove having a widened inner portion, a plurality of guide members slidably received in the widened inner portion of the above-mentioned groove, and fastening means securing each of said guide members to said edge of said panel, said fastening means consisting of a first threaded opening in said one edge of said panel, a second larger opening in the guide member and a screw having a head, a threaded portion received in the said first threaded opening, a screw having a head, a threaded portion and a shoulder abutting said one edge of said panel to limit the position of said screw relative to said one edge of said panel, said screw having an intermediate position between said shoulder and saidhead with said intermediate section having a smaller diameter than said second opening and the intermediate portion having a length of sufficient magnitude relative to the thickness of said guide member to accommodate limited universal movement of the guide member relative to the panel.

6. In a vehicle body having a window opening, a transparent panel for completely closing the opening, said panel having leading and trailing upright edges and a slotted lower portion, mechanism for raising and lowering the panel relative to the window opening including a single arm rotatably mounted on said body and provided with a terminal portion slidably received in the above-mentioned extending portions of the groove, and fastening means se- 10 2,968,512

curing each of said guide members to said edge of said panel, said fastening means accommodating limited universal movement of the associated guide members relative to said panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,907,798 Hardtke May 9, 1933 2,893,781 Hoag et a1 July 7, 1959 Wagner Jan. 17, 1961 

1. IN A VEHICLE BODY HAVING A WINDOW OPENING, A TRANSPARENT PANEL FOR COMPLETELY CLOSING THE OPENING, SAID PANEL HAVING LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES, MECHANISM OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID TRANSPARENT PANEL AND OPERATIVE TO RAISE AND LOWER THE PANEL RELATIVE TO THE WINDOW OPENING, AND GUIDE MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH ONLY ONE OF SAID EDGES, SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISING A FIXED MEMBER HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING GROOVE RECEIVING SAID ONE EDGE OF SAID PANEL, A PLURALITY OF GUIDE MEMBERS SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN PORTIONS OF THE ABOVE-MENTIONED GROOVE, AND FASTENING MEANS SECURING EACH OF SAID GUIDE MEMBERS TO SAID EDGE OF SAID PANEL, SAID FASTENING MEANS ACCOMMODATING LIMITED UNIVERSAL MOVEMENT OF THE ASSOCIATED GUIDE MEMBERS RELATIVE TO SAID PANEL. 